Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 1Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

Sermon: Father’s Day

Sermon Outline

Topic: Relating to God (Father’s Day)

Main Point: We can understand God in various ways: God the Father, God a Father, God our Father, or God my Father

Intended Response: Pick one aspect of God’s character and develop a deeper connection with Him in that area.

Key Verse: Exodus 20:12 “…Honour your father…”

Outline A. We can understand God as: the Father (1 Cor 8:6)

God is creator and in control of everything We can rely on His sovereignty

Point One: God is the Father of everything

B. We can understand God as: a Father (1 Pet 1:3) God is revealed to us as a parent He expresses His love toward His children

Point Two: God has the heart of a loving parent towards us.

C. We can understand God as: our Father (Matt 6:9) God places us in community Jesus invites us to pray to God as our Father

Point Three: We are not alone in this life if we become part of God’s family.

D. We can understand God as: my Father (Gal 3:26, Rom 8:15) We are adopted by God as His children He is close to us

Point Four: God becomes our personal Father when we receive His Holy Spirit

Power Point slides accompany this sermon Slides are available at www.sarmy.org.au There is space within this sermon to include testimonies from your Corps

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 2Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

Sermon: Father’s DaySermon Transcript

Introduction: Welcome everyone to our Sunday service,

Today is Father’s Day – a day where we get to honour all the fathers in our Corps and our community … so happy father’s day to all those dads.

( [if applicable] … we have made a small gift for each of you…)

In Exodus chapter 20 verse 12 says, “Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in land the Lord your God is giving you…”

The Bible records we are to “…Honour our father…”

Dads know stuff… (insert funny story…) They know how to fix anything in the world … with gaffa tape … and if it

can’t be fixed with gaffa tape, you need to use MORE gaffa tape! They know they need to hold onto batteries and put them in the bottom

draw of the kitchen cabinet… even if the batteries are dead, dads hold onto them … next to the torch, that doesn’t have batteries in them,

Though we joke, fathers and father figures are actually incredibly important.

Sadly, many people have not had a positive father figure in their life. Statistically, those who grow up without a dad or in a fatherless home are much worse off in life:

90% of homeless and runaway children in the USA have no father figure, 85% children with behavioural disorders are attributed to the lack of a

father, 71% of high school drop outs have no father figure at home, 85% of all youth in US prisons have no father figure.

On the flip side: recent research done in Australia has revealed children who grow up in a positive relationship with their fathers generally have:

higher levels of self-esteem, higher school grades, are more likely to be compassionate as adults, positive self-control and self-esteem traits, more positive interactions with siblings, enhanced occupational achievements in adulthood.

Intro Point Fathers are very important.So again, we would like to acknowledge and honour every father here today.

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 3Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

Transition As we celebrate father’s day, I thought we would take this opportunity for us learn about another father – our Father in heaven, God.

We all have different ways in which we relate to God and how we connect with Him. Some of us will feel comfortable with the idea of God being a Father to us, and perhaps for some, this is an idea that does not sit as comfortably?

Today, we are going to look at four different ways we can understand God and what these aspects reveal about Him. It’s my hope that one of these aspects of God’s character will jump out to you and you will seek to develop a more meaningful relationship with Him in that area.

So to begin, we can understand God as…

1. God the Father

Title God the Father

Description1 Cor 8:6 (NIV) …yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and through whom we live;

From this verse, we can understand God’s role of being both:1. (all things) The creator of all things, and2. (we live) God is involved in our lives.

God is never taken by surprise. God is in control / nothing is beyond His control.

RelatingWe can connect with God on this level by trusting in His sovereignty, that is, having a sense of confidence and hope that God is ultimately in control of our lives and is active working in us through His Holy Spirit.

Examples of this trust may be: becoming a follower of Christ, praying and including God in our lives, reading the Bible for His guidance.

Point 1 God is the Father of everything. He alone, is the only true God.Transition Secondly, we can understand God as…

2. God, a Father

Title God, a Father

1 Pet 1:3 (NIV) …Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

DescriptionThe Bible reveals God to us a parent. He has a son: Jesus. He knows what it’s like to provide guidance, encouragement, strength.

ExpressedGod is heard expressing His love for His Son at the baptism of Christ, “You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). God is not shy to express His emotions of love towards his children in this fallen world.

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 4Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

RelatingThis can be a tremendous sense of assurance to us. God understands the difficulties we as humans face throughout life, and as a loving parent, He will comfort us.

This can be very affirming to those of us who have not had positive experiences with our own fathers. God loves us, and as a Father to us, He will not harm us but gently lead us in the ways that lead to life.

Point 2 God has the heart of a loving parent towards us.Transition Third, we can understand God as…

3. God our Father

Title God our Father

Matt 6:9 (ESV) …Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, holy is your name.

DescriptionWhen teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus began by framing the concept of prayer to be done with community in mind. ‘Our Father’ gives a sense of community. God wants us to be involved in the lives of others. In fact, that is at the heartbeat of our mission: to reach out and serve others with the love of Christ.

God places us in community and together, we experience Him as our Father. We no longer need go through this life on our own but can be part of a spiritual family.

RelatingGod just doesn’t have one Son in His family and that’s all. When we give our lives to Christ, we are included into a spiritual family, and we are all valuable and equal before God: (1 Cor 12:27) All of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a part of it. Jesus also said, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matt 18:20).

When we attend a Corps, or a small group, or participate in a social program, we are connecting with the Spirit of God.

Insert a story: share an example, or have someone share their testimony, of how people grow in their faith, feel supported, or have grown in love as a result of being in a community where God is centre.

Point 3 We are not alone in this life if we become part of God’s family.Transition And lastly, we can understand God as…

4. God my Father

Title God my Father

DescriptionLk 15:32 (NIV) … we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

RelatingThere is a story in the Bible that is quite famous called, ‘The Prodigal son’. It is a story about a young man who finds himself estranged from his father due to his own wayward living.

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 5Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

This young man carries a huge amount of guilt and shame for the way he has been living, and no longer feels worthy to stand before his father (Lk 15:18-9). Yet, in the story, the father openly embraces this young man as his son, forgives his shame and sin, and blesses him with honour and love.

It is a story that highlights God’s love for us. No matter what we have done, God will be there for us. In the Book of Romans, it says…

Rom 8:15 (NASB) …For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

God will adopt us and give us His Spirit as a sure sign that we are part of His family. He calls us sons and daughters, and we in turn, through His Spirit, can call Him ‘Abba, Father’.

That word ‘Abba’ denotes ‘tender love and endearment by a beloved child’.

Insert a story: share a personal story of when you felt close and supported by God. Examples might be: in a devotion time, during a difficult season in life, receiving an encouraging word from some in prayer…

POINT 4 God becomes our personal Father when we receive His Holy Spirit

Call to Action Throughout this coming week, (or in small groups) as you reflect on the different ways you can relate to God, can I ask you to consider:

Which aspect of your relationship with God do you find it:a) Easy to relate to?b) Difficult to relate to?(God the Father, God a Father, God our Father, God my Father)

And can I encourage you to share your thoughts with someone over coffee and have an engaging discussion.

Invitation As we close the message today, I would like to extend an invitation for all us here today.

If you would like to be able to say with confidence: ‘God is my Father’or,If you would like to strengthen your faith and join our community so we can say together, ‘God is our Father’

It all begins with a simple step of faith.

Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6)

You can talk with me after the service, or you can come up the front to mercy seat and say a private prayer, our you can join in as well pray together now.

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 6Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

Closing Prayer

Father God, today we honour you for all that you do in our lives, knowing that you are a Father to all who would call on your name. We thank you for your love towards us and for offering us salvation in your Son’s name, that we may in turn become your children and you our Father.

Father, we pray and ask today that you would open up our spiritual eyes so that we may see your involvement in our lives. We ask that you would open our ears to hear your voice today. And we ask that you would open our hearts to receive more of your love and grace.We ask this in your Son’s name - Amen

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 7Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)

Sermon: Father’s Day Scripture References

Exo 20:12 (NLT)Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

1 Cor 8:6 (NIV)Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live…

1 Pet 1:3 (NIV)Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Mk 1:11 (NIV)You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased

Matt 6:9 (ESV)Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…

1 Cor 12:27 (NLT)All of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a part of it.

Matt 18:20 (NIV)For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

Lk 15:32 (NIV) … we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

Rom 8:15 (NASB)For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

John 14:6 (NIV)I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Territorial Mission Resources Department Australia Southern Territory © 2015 8Written by Christopher Trodden B.A (Bib.Stud)